Trifusion

Explore

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players explore the existing pattern on the table to determine where there are options for play.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Parents can encourage children to explore all the options, not just pick the first match of colors on the tile they see. Encourage children rotate their Trifusion pieces to look for different matching possibilities.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Children are developing spatial relations skills, particularly geometric construction, geometric deconstruction, and spatial organization and configuration.
Educators can encourage children to explore all the options, not just pick the first match of colors on the tile they see. Encourage children rotate their Trifusion pieces to look for different matching possibilities.

Determine

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players determine which tiles can or cannot be played on a turn

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Encourage children to rotate tiles to help visualize if it can be played on the board.
Remind children that they score points for the number of tile adjacent to their tile which connect to the same color(s). This will help them determine which tile and orientation of tile to play for maximum score.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Children are developing spatial relations skills, particularly geometric construction, geometric deconstruction, and spatial organization and configuration.
Encourage children to rotate tiles to help visualize if it can be played on the board.

Compare

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players examine the color matches.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Parents can help children see mismatches or point out other matches for a tile that a child can consider. Also,when it is not their turn, encourage children look closely at their tiles and open spots on the Trifusion game area comparing possible locations to place tiles for maximum scoring.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
The most advanced form of comparison in this game is the comparing of mental maps. When a child has the opportunity to place a one of his or her Trifusion tiles, the child needs to think about and compare the different color pathways or patterns that migh be created. This type of mental mapping and comparison is great for developing spatial awareness and transformational thinking. Transformational thinking underlies skills like puzzle solving and art creation.

Predict

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players predict which placement of a tile will result in a greater score.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Parents can remind children to think about placement in relation to points and ask, "Which of these options do you think will give you more points. Count it out in your head."

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Predicting involves skills like analysis, observation, empathy and interpretation. Educators can prompt children to practice predicting by asking questions like "what tile do you think I'll play next?"
Educators can remind children to think about placement in relation to points and ask, "Which of these options do you think will give you more points. Count it out in your head."

Plan

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players think about other players' possible moves and may choose to make a scoring or blocking move with one of their own tiles.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Parents can discuss and help children organize tiles to make the largest patterns or connections, until they have mastered game sufficiently to play on their own. In particular, try helping children visualize different paths that can be created based on their existing tiles and those on the board. Talking about options supports visualization and spatial reasoning skill development.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Planning is an important skill for developing strategic thinking and reaching a goal. Educators can encourage children to look at options for scoring the most points on a turn, as well as setting up for scoring points on subsequent turns. Ask questions like "What are the largest patterns or longest color connections can you make?" or "If you place a tile, will you be able to connect other tiles to it on your next turn?"
Also, Trifusion is a good game for helping children develop organizational skills as they plan moves based on set of tiles, and adaptive skills as they creatively respond to moves of opponents. Organizing is essential to effective planning and is an important executive functioning skill.

Experiment

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players mentally try out moves, then pick what they think is the best move.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Parents can encourage children to experiment by placing tiles on the board prior to making final choice for a move. Provide positive feedback to children as they select, switch and move pieces around. Mastering Trifusion will often result in several missteps prior to ultimate success. Positive support can help children develop persistence and resilience.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
When first learning to play, remind children to rotate their tiles 90 degrees at a time. Educators can also encourage experimentation by suggesting that a child play a tile, even if they are unsure whether it will create the highest score. Trying different Trifusion tiles in different situations will help children learn what moves are most and least effective in various circumstances. Trying new things when you are unsure, yet in a safe environment, helps build confidence and a positive approach to failure.

Practice

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players learn from their play what strategies are most successful.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Parents can remind children to think about what they did when the got their largest score. What made the score high?

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Educators can remind children to think about what they did when the got their largest score. What made the score high?

Solve

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Each time a player places a tile to score or successfully block, they are solving a problem in the game.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
There is no special adult support required.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
When first learning to play, remind children to rotate their tiles 90 degrees at a time. Educators can encourage children to try different Trifusion tiles in different situations to help him or her learn what moves are most and least effective in various circumstances. Trying new things when you are unsure, yet in a safe environment, helps build confidence and a positive approach to failure.

Review

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players may review if encouraged. See Implications for Learning and Adult Support.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
At the end of the game, review what strategies worked or what could have been done differently.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
At the end of a game, review closely which tiles were placed, and where and when they were placed. Ask the child to reflect on what s/he did to make the connections and patterns.

Demonstrate

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players can potentially explain their thinking if asked, but it is not required in the game.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
This is a good strategy for parents to encourage children to analyze their play. Say, "That was a great move! What were you thinking when you picked that spot for your tile?"

Learning Implications and Educator Support
This is a good strategy for educators to encourage children to analyze their play. Say, "That was a great move! What were you thinking when you picked that spot for your tile?"

Imagine

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?


How Parents Can Assist Learning


Learning Implications and Educator Support

Create

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?


How Parents Can Assist Learning


Learning Implications and Educator Support

Cognitive

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Allow children to play the game by matching any one section, in addition to the whole side of a square. This reduces the number of characteristics the child has to match on any one square. Children who have cognitive delays will find this more manageable. And children with attentional issues will find it easier to focus on just one aspect. This will result in an interesting spread out board.

Communication

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Start with one of the one of the squares that has all four colors in the middle. Using the game modifications in the "Cognitive" section, each child gives a square to the person next to them and tells them what color to match. That player then has to examine the board and find a place to match it. The first player indicates if the match is good, or helps the child find a better location. The goal is to use all of the squares in an interesting pattern that spreads out in a wide area. This modification of the game encourages children to communicate using color and spatial words. It also encourages helping each other toward a common goal.

Sensorimotor

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
There are no specific modifications that can be made for this game. If a child has difficulty manipulating the tiles, they can direct another player where to place the tile.

Social Emotional/Behavioral

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Children with cognitive delays may also benefit from playing with a partner. This will enable the delayed child to learn from a peer. It will also encourage cooperation and communication.
Start with one of the one of the squares that has all four colors in the middle. Using the game modifications in the "Cognitive" section, each child gives a square to the person next to them and tells them what color to match. That player then has to examine the board and find a place to match it. The first player indicates if the match is good, or helps the child find a better location. The goal is to use all of the squares in an interesting pattern that spreads out in a wide area. This modification of the game encourages children to communicate using color and spatial words. It also encourages helping each other toward a common goal.

Vision

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
This game is highly visual. No special modifications can be made, but only children with severe visual impairment will be unable to play the game because the colors have high contrast and the shapes are large.

Hearing

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
No modification required.

*Data compiled from CCSSI ELA Standards, WA Science Standards, and Washington Social Studies Standards

Extra Ways to Play the Game
Experiment with creating patterns such as a checkerboard or rows of colors.

Materials Needed
No additonal materials needed.

Developmental Benefits
Making patterns supports a child's geometry and spatial reasoning abilities. Additionally, this activity helps fine motor development. Because the child is making their own patterns, this activity also advances imaginative and creative thinking. This activity can be collaborative and, therefore, supporing a range of important social emotional skills.

Extra Ways to Play the Game
Player 1 says a color (yellow, green or blue) and a shape (circle, square, rectangle). Player 2 places tiles together to make a circle, square, rectangle. That ends a turn. Play rotates to the person to the left of Player 1. An alternative can be to make as many shapes as possible in 1 minute. Another alternative is to give a point for each tile used to make a square or rectangle.4

Materials Needed
No additonal materials needed.

Developmental Benefits
Making specific geometric shapes directly relates to and expands on the core curriculum of the game. Additionally, children need to change perspectives in order to solve same problem with different approaches. This helps build creative-problem solving skills and a core cognitive ability.

Extra Ways to Play the Game
This is an alternative game play mechanism. On your turn, you can place a tile on top of another tile, so long as your tile does not violate any other rule of the game. To score, add up the points as normal.

Materials Needed
No additonal materials needed.

Developmental Benefits
This adds an additional element of strategy to the game, allowing a player to potentially gain points that would have otherwise been unavailable or to change the pattern in a way the blocks another player.